Memorandum
Date: May 5, 2026
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Lars Ewing, Interim Public Works Director
Subject: Approve the Award of Asphalt Emulsion Materials and Application Services for the 2026 Chip Seal Project to Western Emulsion for $931,117.69, and authorize the Public Works Director to sign the Purchase Order
Executive Summary:
The Department of Public Works is preparing to complete the 2026 Chip Seal Project, which will apply surface treatment to approximately 30 miles of County-maintained roadways. The project will be funded through SB1 funds.
To complete this work, the County requires approximately 750 tons of specialized liquid asphalt emulsion and 250 tons of fog seal. These materials must be delivered and applied by a qualified contractor as part of the chip seal process.
A request for proposals was issued on April 3, 2026, with a submission deadline of April 17, 2026. One proposal was received from Western Emulsion at a price of $665/ton for liquid asphalt emulsion, and $445/ton for fog seal, plus fees and taxes.
Western Emulsion has successfully provided materials and application services for prior County projects and is one of the limited vendors with the capability to both supply and apply emulsion and fog seal in accordance with project requirements.
Staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors approve the award for the supply and application of emulsion and fog seal for the 2026 Chip Seal Project to Western Emulsion in the amount of $931,117.69. The purchase order includes a 10 percent contingency to account for field conditions, application variability, and other unforeseen needs during construction; however, payment will be based on actual quantities.
This project is exempt from CEQA as it consists of maintenance of existing public facilities.
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